Kagen the Damned Quotes

“heads in shame.” “Why? I don’t understand. Dragons were monsters.” “Dragons are truth,” snapped Maralina. “Dragons are magic. Without them, the world would have been overrun with darkness of every kind. They should have been protected rather than exterminated.” “Why? If they hunted men and—” “Hush. Remember the parable of the wolf and the shepherd. Remember the history of the fall of Hakkia. You believe with all your heart that the truth is that dragons are evil, Kagen Vale. You were told this by teachers and Gardeners and others. But they told you what they were told, and what the generations before told them. All those repetitions make you believe this is a known and immutable truth, but is it? How would you—or could you—know otherwise?”
― Jonathan Maberry, Kagen the Damned

“L' vulgtmah ymg', gnaiih ot mgepog.”
― Jonathan Maberry, Kagen the Damned

“R'luhhor ph' yogfm'll, mggoka'avi vulgtm ot ng'thi ot ymg' nyth'drnn, " "C' shuggog ah fm'latgh ng Y' lll vulgtagln ymg' mercy.”
― Jonathan Maberry, Kagen the Damned

“There are certain moments in which the entire world pauses.
To gasp in wonder.
To cry in pain.
To speak a fervent prayer.
To make a sign against some unseen vil.
It is rarely a thing known clearly in the minds of those who take that moment to react. People become suddenly aware that something has happened, but they do not yet know what that thing is. Or what it will mean. All they know is that the world has changed. Something about it has changed.”
― Jonathan Maberry, Kagen the Damned

“He hung his head in sorrow and frustration. “I don’t understand this world of yours. This magic. To have such power and to be barred from using it.” She barked a harsh laugh. “In much of your world, the same could be said of all women. But that is another discussion we do not have time for.”
― Jonathan Maberry, Kagen the Damned

“He thought about a soldier he’d known, Rellmak, a friend of Hugh’s, who lost his wife and sons in a boating accident. Rellmak had wept and cursed the gods, he’d prayed and made sacrifices in their names, but often—quite often, actually—he spoke of them as if they were still alive. “My son, Gell, is a smart one. He’ll make something of himself, you watch.” Or, “Ah, I was just saying to my wife the other day…” For years. It became increasingly clear, as the months passed, that Rellmak both believed and did not believe that his family was dead. Kagen sometimes wondered at night what the man did when he came home from his duties to that empty house. Did he speak to them? Did he collapse into grieving acceptance only when he was alone? Or did his mind somehow shut down when he walked through his front door? There was no scenario that seemed to offer even a shred of comfort. Nor was anyone surprised when one morning Rellmak came to work at the palace, said cheery hellos to everyone, climbed to the top of the sentry tower, shared a cup of tea with the two men on shift, and then threw himself off and down to his death. Is that what waits for me? wondered Kagen. Am I damaged as well as too broken to even trust my own thoughts? Thinking about that inevitably led to him brooding over the nature of being “damned.” Had he not had that vision of the gods turning their backs on him, would he believe that he was truly damned? That was a tough question.”
― Jonathan Maberry, Kagen the Damned

“Wendor shook his head. “No, friend Kagen, the Witch-king wants them there as guests and witnesses. Or, perhaps, accomplices. If they salute him as he dons the crown, then the Hakkian Empire becomes legal. Such a thing would turn the Witch-king from invading usurper to the true emperor in the west.” The doctor paused and sighed. “The world as we have always known it, my friend, is ending. The sun is setting, and we are likely to live the rest of our lives under the shadow of the eclipse.”
― Jonathan Maberry, Kagen the Damned

“The creature extended an arm—if arm was a word that could possibly fit—and pawed at the air in front of Kagen. It looked at him with one eye and then a thousand and then none, its perception constant even as the way it perceived changed constantly. Or perhaps it was that it understood things as they were despite its own ever-changing nature.”
― Jonathan Maberry, Kagen the Damned

“Mother Frey nodded. “You are right to ask, my lady, and I will tell you.” But she did not immediately explain. Instead, she poured herself another cup of wine. The others watched, and Helleda Frost in particular noted how badly the old woman’s hands were shaking. Some of the wine slopped onto the table. Helleda rose, reached across to take the wine bottle, and finished pouring. Her eyes met Mother Frey’s and they shared a moment of communication that ran along a different channel than what was ever shared between the men. Mother Frey reached for her cup and her fingers briefly brushed the back of the stern noblewoman’s hand, and for a moment Helleda’s eyes softened. There was even a shared nod, though it was very small and very brief.”
― Jonathan Maberry, Kagen the Damned

“That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange eons even death may die.”
― Jonathan Maberry, Kagen the Damned

“Hate is the shield the weak use against the knife thrusts of acceptance.” He hated that, too. CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE The historian stood before the dais, his arms heavy with books and scrolls, his heart heavy with dread.”
― Jonathan Maberry, Kagen the Damned